


Freelance Good Guys: Trial of Titans

by TheGreys (alienjpeg)



Series: Freelance Good Guys [6]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Action, Adventure, Blood and Gore, Fantasy, Humor, Magic, Mermaids, Team as Family, Transformation, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2019-01-06 18:09:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12216165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alienjpeg/pseuds/TheGreys
Summary: The Freelance Good Guys are contracted to find a priceless family heirloom. When they stumble into a series of dungeons, they must get creative and defeat mighty elemental titans to escape! What lies at the end of this harrowing trial? Certainly not anything they expected.





	1. Blood and Bones

**Author's Note:**

> This story can be read on its own, but I recommend reading the Freelance Good Guys series in order to fully understand what's going on. For concept art and more about the world of Looming Gaia, visit the blog: https://loominggaia.tumblr.com/post/175087795478/looming-gaia-masterpost

## [CHAPTER 1: BLOOD AND BONES]

 

            There they stood before the grand door of the temple, five mercenaries with no gold and even less sense.

 

            Supposedly their client’s family heirloom was somewhere inside. The temple was a pyramid of gleaming white stone, shining like a beacon against the orange dunes in the desert sun.

 

            The door before them towered ten men high. Images of peacocks, flowers, and crescent moons were carved along the edges, half of the carvings worn smooth by centuries of wind and sand.

 

            “Fancy hideout for a gang of gold-snatchers,” mentioned Alaine. Evan glanced back at the scale-faced woman.

“Be ready for anything,” he said, then together, he and his crew pulled the massive slab open just enough to squeeze inside.

 

            A bold strip of light pierced the dark interior, exposing a balcony with a black abyss above and below. Evan shook a candleseed bottle and the seed inside cracked open, lighting up like a flame. Fastening it to his belt, he led the way down a long, twisting stairway.

 

            The sound of his metal peg-leg against stone was high and sharp as it echoed off the walls. Brutal heat trembled the air outside, but down here it was cool and stagnant. When they reached the end of the stairs, the mercenaries felt the ground crunch beneath their boots.

 

            They soon realized they were standing on a pile of bones, so deep and vast that it filled the room from wall to wall. “Ugh, nasty!” exclaimed Lukas. He stumbled over a femur and grabbed Evan’s steel-plated shoulder for balance. “Some of these still have meat on them!”

 

            Glenvar picked up a bone. He sniffed it before giving it a lick. “Ain’t human,” he decided, and he tossed it back into the pile.

Jeimos wrinkled their nose. “How do you know what—” The elf paused. “Actually, I don’t want to know…”

 

            The mercenaries drew their weapons as they made their way across the field of bones. The stench of old meat and stale dust wafted up with every step. They jumped, nearly tripping over themselves when the room suddenly lit up. Lining the walls were glass orbs on bone sconces, some broken and cracked while others glowed with magic.

 

            A screeching roar filled the air, vaguely feline and all otherworldly. The five mercenaries tensed, turning their backs to one another. Their eyes scanning the massive chamber. High above them, what looked like a gargoyle was crouched on a pillar. But it was a creature of flesh and blood, a female form with bulging muscles and a deer’s skull for a face.

 

            The creature dug its clawed fingers into the stone, spread its bat-like wings wide before letting out another roar. Its tail whipped through the air in agitation, long and bristled like that of a rat.

Evan pointed and exclaimed, “Look out! It’s an artema!”

With a roll of his eyes, Lukas muttered, “Really? Hardly noticed.”

 

            The beastly creature hunched its back, glaring down at them with two orbs in its skull. They were the color of emeralds, casting a glow upon its bony face. Its skeletal maw was full of jagged teeth and a pointed black tongue that oozed at the sight of a five-course meal.

 

            But that meal was hiding behind layers of leather and plates of metal, blades and bows sticking out from all directions. The artema lunged forward in a bluff-charge and the mercenaries reeled back. Alaine and Glenvar slipped and fell into the hoard of bones. That’s when the creature dived off the pillar, swooping down with wings stretched wide.

 

            Evan raised his shield just in time. Four hundred pounds of muscle, teeth, and claws careened into it and sent the man flying backwards. Bones shot up in his wake and the artema curved up towards the ceiling with a screech. It disappeared briefly into the shadows. The mercenaries regrouped, prepared themselves for another assault.

 

            And it came quickly, rocketing down with clawed fingers splayed. Jeimos turned to run and it swatted them in the back of the head as it passed. The elf spun like a top and then their back hit the floor, white stars dancing in front of their eyes. Their black leather hood absorbed the scratches. Alaine chucked her spear and it stopped inches from piercing the artema’s neck. The artema snatched it with cat-like reflexes and beat its wings, flying overhead to pull a u-turn before throwing the spear back.

 

            The weapon barely missed Alaine’s head and took a couple strands of blue hair with it. It stuck into the floor of bones, piercing through an animal skull. The artema swooped down again and the mercenaries split to avoid it. Glenvar straightened his back and faced it head-on as it came back around, raising his long battleaxe for a swing.

 

            “I’ll knock ya outta the park, ya— _Oh_!” he growled, and in an instant he was airborne. The artema seized the handle of the axe and pulled him high into the shadows above. The mercenaries gaped in horror. They could see nothing in the blackness, only heard Glenvar’s cries and the warbling screeches of the artema.

 

            A splatter of blood rained down and stained the yellowed bones. Glenvar’s axe came spinning down after it and the blade sparked as Evan blocked it with his shield. “Glenvar?” he cried up at the ceiling, but all that returned was the beastly titan nymph. It careened forward and swiped Evan’s helmet as it passed, knocking him to the floor.

 

            Dazed, the captain sat up and straightened his helmet. He felt four long grooves scratched into the metal. “What did you do with Glen, you big rat?” Alaine screamed at the monster, spear clutched in a white-knuckle grip. The artema made a sloppy landing on its pillar, bones and rusty old armor clattering as they were pushed off the edge.

 

            A red gash was opened across its belly, clean as if cut by a blade. It clutched the wound and its raspy panting slithered through the room, its mane of long, ratty hair spilling over its shoulders. The wound was hardly fatal, but it slowed the creature down long enough for Lukas to line up a shot with his bow.

 

            “Jeimos, give me a light!” the archer called. Jeimos shook themselves out of their daze and hurried over, stumbling over bones with a magic flame between their hands. They ignited the end of the arrow, all wrapped in powdery cloth, and Lukas released the string. The fire-arrow whizzed up and stuck into the artema’s shoulder.

 

            The creature’s spine straightened with a screech. The flames rippled across the arrow and quickly spread to the monster’s mane. The artema seized the arrow, pulled it out and threw it back at the mercenaries. A half-hearted attack, as it was more concerned with trying to palm the fire out of its hair.

 

            As it shrieked and flailed around atop the pillar, Lukas lined up another arrow. This one had a barbed metal tip. Away it went, piercing through a wing. The artema hardly noticed as the fire spread up to its bony head. It clawed at its skull and dragged its face against the stone pillar.

 

            Alaine cried out as she threw her spear. It stuck into the artema's back with so much force, the titan was knocked from its perch. It frantically beat its wings as it fell, trying to gain control. “Look out, look out!” called Evan.

 

            The mercenaries ducked and rolled away from the flaming, furious monster flying towards them. Bones flew when it crashed down, disappearing below its hoard of remains. Alaine's spear went spinning into the air as it broke away from the titan's flesh.

 

            For a brief moment, all was silent and still. The four remaining Freelance Good Guys exchanged looks. Then the bones beneath them began to rattle and quake, and the artema exploded out with a roar. The fire was out, leaving a mass of blackened hair behind. Its body was smeared with ash and blood.

 

            This time it did not fly. It sprung forward on powerful behooved legs and tackled Lukas to the ground. White stars danced before the archer’s eyes and all the wind was knocked from his chest. He wheezed behind his face-wrap, blinking up at the hulking blur looming over him.

 

            The artema raised its mighty clawed hand to swipe the flesh from his skull. With a sudden flash of silver and red, that hand detatched from its wrist and fell limply to the floor. The artema let out an urgent warble and whipped around to see Evan, staring back with a bloodied sword.

“Face someone your own size, beast!” he exclaimed.

 

            Its bony jaw opened wide, blasting a howl and foul breath in the man’s face. It lunged with its remaining hand and he countered it with his shield. Claws sparked against metal and Evan winced behind his helmet at the infernal sound. Blood was spurting from the artema’s stump, but that did not stop it from using it as a club, taking a swing that made Evan stumble to one knee.

 

            Before it could strike again, a blast of fire struck from behind, gnarling the skin on the creature’s back. It threw a look over its shoulder and spotted Jeimos, whose skinny legs trembled in its gaze. The elf swallowed the lump in their throat and conjured another fireball. “Leave him be! D-don’t make me do it again!”

 

            With a grunt and a whip of its tail, the artema flung Jeimos half-way across the room. They yowled through the air before landing with a clatter. Alaine charged with her spear and was struck with a powerful wing that flipped her on her back. Just as the beast turned around, it saw a flash of silver and then a wash of red.

 

            One final, agonized howl filled the chamber. Evan stood panting above its limp body, staring down at the head which rolled and settled among the rest of the remains. All had gone silent. Blood slid to the end of his blade and dripped onto bone. As the rest of his crew approached, he drew a rag from his pocket and wiped the gore away before sliding his sword back in its scabbard.

 

            “I’ve peeled potatoes tougher than that,” he said. He punctuated himself with a smirk, though his eyes were doleful. His team wore similar expressions.

They shared an uncomfortable silence before Jeimos queried, “What about Glenvar…?”

 

            Evan’s face straightened. He cleared his throat and began to speak, but another voice called over him, “Right here!” All four jumped with a start and turned. There was Glenvar, huffing and puffing his way down the long set of stairs. “Any of you dogs see my axe?”

 

            Their postures sunk with relief. Alaine ran up to the bearded man and told him, “We were getting slapped around by that monster and you show up _after_ the job’s done? Really, Glen?”

Glenvar threw his arms up. “My legs are short, _stira_! Gimme a break! I got a good slice in, didn’t I?” He gestured to his belt. “And you said keepin’ a dagger in my pants was stupid!”

 

            “We all did our part,” said Evan, shooting each of them a smile. “Good teamwork, Guys. But now…” His hand hovered to his chin, scratching at the stubble as his gaze drifted around the room. “I believe we have a scorpion pendant to find, and we know not how deep this hoard of bones goes! I suggest we don’t waste any time.”

 

            Lukas’ eyes rounded. “Wait. You’re not serious, right? That’s like finding a needle in a haystack! Except worse, because the hay is rotting corpses!”

“Yeah, I’m done,” yawned Glenvar. “Tell Miss K. we’re jumpin’ ship. I’ll fight titans, but I ain’t diggin’ through their slop all day.”

 

            Shaking his head, Evan replied, “Shame on both of you, leaving a job half-done! That nice woman welcomed us into her home, gave us free dinner and boarding, and you’re—” The captain paused at the sound of rattling bones. It was distant at first, then it began to escalate until it was deafening.

 

            The floor below their feet quaked and began to churn, sinking down and down. “Uuuh, what’s happening here?” Alaine’s voice wobbled just as her legs did. The rest were fairing no better, struggling to keep their balance as the ground loosened and sank.

“Get back to the stairs!” ordered Evan, but it was too late.

 

            Suddenly they were freefalling through blackness with a shower of bones all around. The screams of five mercenaries’ echoed up the chamber, then came to an abrupt halt.

 

*


	2. Dormant Contraption

## [CHAPTER 2: DORMANT CONTRAPTION]

 

            The cavern was so enormous that it supported its own unique ecosystem. It was well lit by glowing mushrooms that spread all along the walls. Their spores drifted lazily through the stagnant air like fireflies. Some of these mushrooms stood twice as tall as a man. The floor was dramatically uneven and carpeted with multicolored mosses.

 

            Evan and Lukas were the first to pull themselves out of the slimy subterranean pool, now full of remains from the artema’s lair high above. Lukas doubled over and squeezed the water from his locks. His face-wrap was soaked with foul water, so he tossed it to the ground with a wet splat.

 

            Evan helped Jeimos and Glenvar to their feet, both waterlogged with bits of moss and pond-debris stuck to them. Another face surfaced after. It was scaly and green with solid black eyes. Though she looked alien at the moment, Alaine’s blue hair was unmistakable. She reached out with her webbed fingers and Evan took her hand, dragging her onto shore with the others.

 

            Glenvar chuckled, “Look what the tide brought in!” Alaine gave him a wet slap with her fish-tail before she was consumed by light. When the light dissipated, her tail had split into legs and she looked like herself once more. She rose to her feet and took a look around at the magnificent cavern. Mineral deposits formed crystallized spikes along the ceilings, the water’s reflection rippling on their smooth facets.

 

            “Are we still under the Serkel desert?” she asked with a quirk of her eyebrow. “This place is so… _Slimy_.”

Jeimos squeezed the water from their black robes and replied, “This is a magical place. Laws of nature don’t apply here. I can feel arcane energy vibrating all around.”

Glenvar raised his eyebrows. “Yeah? What’s that like?”

 

            “Well…It hurts my teeth a little, to be honest,” the elf answered.

“Heh, really? Weird.”

“This place is wreaking havoc on my allergies,” mentioned Lukas. He began trudging down a vague pathway in the moss, wet boots squelching with every step. “Safe to say we can forget about that stupid necklace. Let’s just forfeit the job and find a way out of this dump. I have a headache that could kill a rhino.”

 

            Evan opened his mouth to speak. After a second, he closed it and a sigh gusted through his nostrils. Moving ahead, his crew trailed behind him as they meandered through the cavern. Odd bioluminescent blooms retracted in their wake. Colorful salamanders skittered over rocks They crossed paths with a snake or two before reaching an odd formation jutting out of the ground.

 

            Jeimos stopped before it and called to the others, “Wait! Chaps, look!”

“It’s a pile of scrap, Jay. Probably some old dworfen junk. Let’s go,” droned Lukas. The elf didn’t budge, running their gloved hand over the rusty metal rivets.

 

            It was an almost spherical object the size of an elephant, and probably weighed just as much. It was made of metal plates, layered over eachother like an armadillo’s hide. “This is in no way dworfen,” said Jeimos. They turned back to the others. “You really aren’t curious at all? Look at this thing! Don’t you want to know what it does?”

 

            Evan told them, “I’ve been in this line of work for a long time, Jeimos. I didn’t make it this far by fiddling with strange contraptions. Trust me, some things are best left alone.”

 

            Jeimos hesitated as the others moved on. Rubbing their hands together, they willed some magic forth and pressed their palms to the thing to give it a charge. They waited anxiously. “You comin’ or not?” called Lukas. With a sigh, the elf’s hands slid away and they left to join the others.

 

            Barely ten paces later, they heard a loud, mechanical groan from behind. The mercenaries drew their weapons in a flash, eyes rounding at the behemoth rising before them. Four metal limbs sprouted from beneath the plates that made up its head and shoulders. Its feet tapered outward and its arms were but spiked clubs of rusted steel.

 

            A torso made of boulders orbited a gleaming black core at its center. Four glowing yellow eyes pierced the black void of its face behind a spiked metal helm, and each of its parts groaned and clanged with every move. The mercenaries lowered their weapons to their sides. There was nothing a blade could do against a foe of stone and steel.

 

            Standing on eachother’s shoulders, the five of them would just match its height. Evan’s head whipped towards Jeimos and he barked, “Jeimos! You’ve awoken a terragladius!”

The elf gawked up at the creature with wide tangerine eyes. “It’s…It’s _beautiful_!” they gasped.

 

            The ground quaked as the terragladius took a step forward. It raised its left club high and the mercenaries scattered like roaches before it struck the ground. Fragments of stone flew up in the air, leaving a crater behind. “No, it’s not!” cried Lukas. “It’s an _asshole_!”

 

            The behemoth’s floating torso pivoted 180 degrees on its hips, all four eyes now locked on Jeimos. It raised its club again and the elf dodged a swing with ease. Each metal limb was solid all the way through, and though it was clearly powerful, each attack was slow and laborious.

 

            It swung its limb clumsily into a stalactite and shattered it. Heavy stones rained down, sent the group ducking for cover. Glenvar dived beneath a giant mushroom and the debris bounced off the rubbery cap. Raising his shield over his head, Evan was struck by a falling stone and its weight sent him toppling over.

 

            Its prey was too fast, so the terragladius smashed another stalactite, this time deliberately. More stone rocketed across the cave and nearly hit Alaine, but she had sprinted away and rolled back into the pool in a flash. “Our weapons are useless! Jeimos, try to melt it!” Evan hollered over the chaos as the behemoth tore through the cavern.

 

            Peeking out from a stalagmite, Jeimos conjured flames between their trembling hands. While Evan led the creature in a slow-moving chase, they took aim and blasted a fiery beam at its back. The terragladius pivoted and faced the beam head-on—literally—as the fire was blasting straight in its face. It simply blocked the fire with its arm like a bothersome inconvenience.

 

            The metal was unscathed. Jeimos gritted their teeth and fired again, sweat beading their brow as the terragladius stomped towards them. It was getting too close. The elf darted off and panted, “I can’t get it hot enough! Oh, what good am I? I’ve doomed us all! I’m sorry, Chaps!”

 

            An arrow zipped through the air and struck the monster in the void of its face. It disappeared into the blackness for a moment, then the terragladius seemed to “spit” a mangled arrow onto the ground. The others looked at the archer in disbelief. He threw up his hands and cried, “Well? You have any better ideas?”

 

            “Hey, Glen! I found your axe!” Alaine announced, popping up from the water with a familiar battleaxe above her head.

She tossed it towards the bearded man, who crowed from under a mushroom, “My axe? What good does that do me now?”

“Uh, how about a ‘thank you’? You’re such n ass!”

 

            At a loss for solutions, Lukas fired more arrows in search of a weak point. They bounced harmlessly off the terragladius’ body no matter where they struck. As one whizzed by its core, however, the creature seemed to flinch, blocking the area with one of its clubs.

 

            Evan’s eyes widened as an epiphany struck. “Of course, the verve core! We need to destroy it!” he announced.

Lukas rolled away from a stomping metal foot and called back, “That thing looks solid; arrows aren’t going to cut it!”

 

            “I don’t think my spear’s burly enough to tackle it either,” mentioned Alaine. Evan looked down at his sword. There was no way it was long enough to reach between the boulders orbiting the core.

Then he turned to Glenvar and before he could give the order, the blond man griped, “Yeah, yeah, I know what yer thinkin’! I’m on it, Chief!”

 

            Swiping his axe, Glenvar rushed towards the beast with his weapon raised high. It pivoted with unexpected speed and nearly swatted him with a club. The man faltered and lost his momentum, stumbling to the side. He was cast in its ominous shadow as it raised its knee to stomp him.

 

            Jeimos acted quickly, using the last of their strength to muster an enormous fireball. They let it fly and it exploded right in the terragladius’ face. Cinders rained all around and the monster was blinded, stumbling back, nearly losing its balance. “Glen, now!” barked Evan.

 

            Without hesitation, Glenvar jumped to his feet and rushed in again. The heavy battleaxe crashed into the verve core with a deafening “ _crack_!” It went sailing across the cave, rolling into a patch of moss. Damaged but not broken, glimmering beams of light erupted from its spidery faults.

 

            The terragladius’ limbs started to wobble. The spinning boulders that made up its torso began to slow down. It clumsily scrambled towards its core, stumbling the whole way with its segments drifting apart. “Oh no, ya don’t!” exclaimed Glenvar. He darted between the behemoth’s legs, face red and wheezing by the time he reached the core.

 

            The axe’s blade arced down and smashed the object. Fragments shot every which way with rockets of light that dissipated into the air. The terragladius froze in place for a second or two. Then, all at once, it collapsed into a pile of loose stone and metal. The four glowing eyes beyond its helmet disappeared and the black void of its face rose up in smoke.

 

            Cautiously, the mercenaries approached it. Evan flipped a metal plate over with his sword and it settled harmlessly. Their shoulders relaxed. They took the moment to simply breathe.

“Told you it was just junk,” said Lukas.

 

            The cavern was completely enclosed, with no tunnels leading in or out. Or so the mercenaries thought, until the water in the slimy pool began to bubble. A whirlpool expanded and the water swirled down and down until the pool was drained completely. A gust of hot steam rose up with a hiss and then dissipated.

 

            The Freelance Good Guys took a cautious peek over the shore’s edge. Below, at the very bottom, was a gaping hole leading to another cave system. There was a source of light somewhere down there, but it was impossible to see from this angle. All they saw was black, stony ground.

 

            Rippling warmth wafted up from the fault. The mercenaries looked at eachother, then all eyes were on Evan. The captain shrugged and said, “Might as well.” Then the crew started making their way to the bottom of the pond. Residual slime left the ground slick. Lukas’ boot slipped and he reached out to clutch Glenvar’s hair.

 

            Glenvar grabbed onto Alaine, who caught Jeimos, who snagged Evan, and together they all went tumbling into the unknown.

 

*


	3. Islands of Soot

## [CHAPTER 3. ISLANDS OF SOOT]

 

            A cacophony rang out as five armored mercenaries hit black stone. It felt warm, leaving sooty residue on whatever it touched. The air, too, was warm and uncomfortably so. The Freelance Good Guys rose to their feet and examined these new surroundings.

 

            There were no colorful mushrooms or moss to be found. No water either. Only a barren chamber with lakes of bubbling, sputtering magma. These lakes divided rocky islands like the one they stood upon. The magma cast a red glow and made the air ripple. As far as they could see, they were enclosed by rock walls on all sides.

 

            “Well, piss on me! Big mistake comin’ down here. Like standin’ on the damn sun!” Glenvar griped, yanking off his horned helmet and carelessly tossing it to the floor. The others removed theirs as well to ease the heat.

Alaine fanned her face and turned to Evan, her voice urgent as she said, “We gotta move quick, before I shrivel into a cheap beach souvenir.”

 

            “I find it quite pleasant here, actually,” mentioned Jeimos. Evan squinted at the far end of the cavern. Part of the wall looked fractured and brittle like it could be broken down, with tiny beams of light shining through. Perhaps there was daylight behind? Then his eyes drifted to the several rivers of boiling magma that separated them from freedom.

 

            “We’ll have to cross these islands. Just do as I do,” he said, pacing backwards for a jump.

Lukas quirked an eyebrow. “What if you fall in?”

“Then do the opposite.” With that, the captain took a running leap, blue cape swishing dramatically as he flew over the river. He landed with a roll on the other side.

 

            Flashing a smile at his crew, Evan puffed out his chest and called, “That wasn’t so bad! Come on over!”

“Your cape's on fire,” Alaine told him flatly. Evan seized the cape and quickly brushed out the flames. The bottom of the garment was left ragged and blackened, matching the smears of soot all over his armor.

           

            Next to cross was Lukas, who spun in a series of cartwheels before launching himself onto the next island. He stuck the landing on both feet. Glenvar muttered, “Showoff…” and then clumsily jumped across. He face-planted in the soot. Alaine flew over next with a ballerina’s leap and a cheeky smile.

 

            Finally it was Jeimos’ turn. The elf cautiously approached the edge of the island and wrung their hands. “I’m not much of an athlete, Lads,” they admitted, “and if I try to teleport now, I daresay I’ll faint!”

Lukas rolled his eyes. “What does it matter? You’re a red elf, you can’t burn! Just swim across.”

“I don’t know what’s in there! What if there’s dragons or—”

 

            Snatching Alaine’s long spear, Evan hooked the neck of the elf’s robes. Jeimos flailed and shrieked as the man hauled them across. “There,” grinned Evan. “Now, we just have to do that…” He threw a glance at the other rivers. “Eight more times.”

 

            The crew groaned. Gradually, they made their way across the next few rivers. They had burns and filthy armor to show for it, but no fatalities so far. They were half-way across when they heard a loud sputtering sound from the magma lake. Bubbles inflated and burst, growing larger by the second.

 

            The crew gathered behind Evan, who blocked the hot splatters with his shield. Grooves opened in the metal as the magma ran down. Then something rose up from the lake, something tall and terrible. One big red eyeball glowered down at the mercenaries.

 

            The creature had two arms and two legs with skin of black molten rock. Its joints were glowing with fire which raged through its body. A crown of molten rock towered atop its head, spewing a constant stream of smoke and magma over its shoulders. A scream like a distant train filled the chamber when it opened its mouth, drooling more magma down its gnarled, red face.

 

            Lukas nudged Evan with his elbow and jutted his chin at the creature. “What’s that one, Captain?” he asked dully.

Evan replied quietly, flames reflecting in his wide eyes, “Pyrophasma.”

 

            Jeimos took a step back. “I don’t like this one…” their voice quivered.

Glenvar raised his battleaxe and exclaimed, “Well, I ain’t liked _none_ of ‘em so far! Let’s put it down with the rest. Come get it, ya spicy bastard!” The pyrophasma’s eye locked onto the bearded man and it took a swipe with its rocky fist.

 

            The others scattered but Glenvar held his ground, countering the mighty limb with an equally mighty swing. The axe head clanged off the brittle stone and sent black chunks flying into the lake. The pyrophasma blinked, examining its damaged arm for a moment before letting out a furious bellow.

 

            Its jagged maw opened wide and flames swirled within. Glenvar held his stance, ready to swing once more. “Glen! Don’t--!” cried Evan, and just then the beast launched a fireball from its face. The captain lunged forward and tackled Glenvar to the ground as the fireball sailed over them, crashing and exploding into a stalactite. The rock formation broke apart and went splashing into the lake.

 

            “C’mon, Man!” Glenvar grunted, shrugging the captain off his shoulders. “I was gonna bat that thing back and blow its head off!”

Evan’s voice was strained as he replied, “What makes you think fire will hurt a creature _made_ of fire?”

Glenvar shrugged. “Hurts when a fist collides with yer face! Both flesh, ain’t they?”

 

            Now the titan nymph was locked on Jeimos, the elf hurling fireball after fireball at its head. The pyrophasma simply slapped them away. “The captain’s right! Doesn’t work!” announced Jeimos, then they yelped as the monster swatted them into the magma. The other mercenaries cringed.

“They’re fine, I’m sure,” Evan assured them. Then he turned to Lukas. “Luke, distract it! We need to get Alaine out of here!”

 

            He gestured to the mermaid, collapsed to her knees with sweat pouring down her face. The archer shot him a single nod, then ran forth and leaped across two islands. He fired shots as he went, the arrows bouncing off the pyrophasma’s rocky mantle and sizzling away into the magma.

 

            The assault was just enough to draw its attention and it waded through the lake after him. Evan slapped Glenvar’s shoulder and ordered, “Find Jeimos. I’ll take care of Alaine.”

“No way! You find the elf, I’ll rescue the lady.”

“Glen, stop being difficult!”

“C’moooon, let me save her! You don’t even _like_ ladies!”

 

            The cavern quaked as the pyrophasma struck an island with its fist, shattering it into fragments. The fragments split and floated away, leaving Lukas wobbling precariously on a tiny stone. Evan scrubbed at his face and growled, “Fine! Just get her to that wall over there,” he pointed, “and see if you can’t break it down.”

 

            With a salute, Glenvar took off towards Alaine and scooped her up in his arms. Her body fell limp against him, voice weary as she griped, “Ugh, Glen, you’re all sweaty…And you smell…”

“Oh, like ya don’t stink of chum yerself?” he grinned and threw her over his shoulder, laboriously waddling towards the broken wall. There were a few more rivers to cross first.

 

            “Glen…I can’t make it…” the mermaid groaned. He set her back down on her unsteady feet.

“Sure ya can!” he insisted. In the distance, Lukas hopped across tiny fragments of stone floating in the lake with the raging pyrophasma in pursuit.

 

            Alaine let out a frustrated growl. “Should’ve let Evan do it…You big dummy!”

“Pff, he ain’t half the man I am!”

“Well, you’re half his size!” Alaine barked. Then she recoiled, her eyes closed and she nearly collapsed into the river. Glenvar caught her and stumbled, almost falling himself.

 

            “Allie?” He queried, giving her a shake. “Alligator?” She didn’t stir. Her scales were dry, pulling her skin taut around them. “Aw, shite…” Glenvar muttered and looked around for solutions. He didn’t have the leverage to throw her across like Evan did. He set her down. Observing the spear on her back, he got an idea.

 

            Laying her spear and his axe across islands, Glenvar made a makeshift bridge. He hoisted Alaine over his shoulder once more. Slowly, cautiously he inched his way across as his fellow mercs ran for their lives. One misstep and they would both be liquefied.

 

            The pyrophasma smashed its way through the islands, each one shrinking smaller and smaller when they split apart. Evan rushed about and called for Jeimos until he saw a black-gloved hand shoot out from the magma, waving frantically for help. He kneeled to the edge of an island and offered his shield.

 

            The hand grabbed on. With a heave, Evan pulled Jeimos from the lake. The elf panted as they rolled onto the island, red-hot magma sloughing harmlessly off of their pyriad leather robes. Evan crouched before them, recoiling a bit at the intense heat rising from their body. “Are you alright?” he asked.

 

            Jeimos nodded and stumbled to their feet. “Almost suffocated in lava and I think a rib is broken. But otherwise I’m just dandy!” The two looked at Lukas, who had secured a grappling arrow somewhere in the ceiling. He swung across the lake, clutching the rope with his legs as he fired more shots at the titan.

 

            Every shot kept its attention, but it was becoming more and more enraged. Smoke billowed from the pyrophasma’s head like thunderclouds, lava spewing every which way. Its howl rattled the cavern when its maw opened again, and the fire blast was so intense that it blew itself backwards.

 

            Quick as a flash, Lukas let his body swing down and dodged the blast. He dangled upside-down, feet expertly tangled in the rope. The fireball blew past Glenvar as he was inching his way across the final river and he leaped the rest of the length across. He and Alaine fell to the other side and their weapons splashed into the magma.

 

            The mercenaries shielded their eyes as the massive fireball exploded against the wall. Cinders rained down all over the cavern, and when the dust settled, a white light spilled into the room. The fractured wall was destroyed! “Everyone outside!” ordered Evan.

 

            He and Jeimos leaped their way across small, wobbly islands of rock as Lukas fired another grappling arrow. Then he was swinging away, barely avoiding the pyrophasma as it tried to crush him between its rocky hands. He let go and dropped down near the light, meeting the others as they arrived.

 

            They shielded their eyes, screwing up their faces as they looked out into the beyond. All they could make out was a sea of glittering white mist. A refreshingly cool breeze blew in, but behind them was a creeping heat growing ever closer. The lake sloshed as the pyrophasma angrily stomped towards them.

 

            Another blast was charging in its maw. Evan locked arms with Jeimos and Lukas. Lukas locked arms with Glenvar, who held Alaine, and the captain told them, “It’s a leap of faith, friends!” The others hesitated, their booted toes creeping to the very edge of the rocky precipice.

 

            The shadow of the flame titan loomed above, its body burning hot like a forest fire all around them. It stepped onto the island and sent magma slopping up the shore. The mercenaries had no choice but to jump. The ball of fire blasted away into the mist and magma oozed down after them.

 

            Blinded by its rage, the pyrophasma overstepped and its momentum sent it toppling through the breach in the wall. It howled and flailed, leaving a trail of thick smoke as it disappeared into the abyss.

 

*


	4. Everfloe

## [CHAPTER 4: EVERFLOE]

 

            Alaine woke with a start. The frigid cold of the snow drift shocked her overheated body and she frantically began clawing her way out. Her hand breached the surface and something seized it. Evan pulled her up. Light flooded her vision, exposing a world of white around them.

 

            It seemed to be yet another cavern, the ceilings stretching high and obscured by mist. The walls and floors were solid ice with patches of snow scattered around, facets glittering in the light of magical crystalline growths. Magma was still oozing in from somewhere above the mist. It steamed as it melted the ice below, turning to black stone which spread under the surface like smoke.

 

            A giant figure was stuck under the warped ice beneath the Freelance Good Guys’ feet. It was surrounded by white bubbles as if it was frozen mid-thrash. It was the blackened remains of the pyrophasma. Having melted right through the ice, it extinguished itself in the water and rapidly froze over.

 

            “This place is enchanted just like all the others,” claimed Jeimos, staring down at the encased titan.

“Hm, let me guess….We’ll be facing a—” Evan began, then a hulking being made of snow and ice suddenly burst from a drift. Four ice-coated limbs sprouted from its glittery, bulbous body. Its head was made of packed ice with some kind of blue crystal within.

 

            Evan drew his sword. “—skaadia. Let’s get this over with. It’s been a long day,” he sighed. Alaine reached for her spear but found nothing.

Glenvar took notice and explained, “Yeah, uh, I kinda melted your spear. Sorry.”

The mermaid slumped over and whined, “Nooo! Not my fish-stick!”

“Well, my axe is gone too.” The bearded man turned to Evan. “Me ‘n Allie are benched, Chief! Good luck out there!”

 

            With that, the two ran off and slid behind a cluster of glowing crystals. The skaadia slowly advanced, waddling its round body over rolling hills of snow. Three faceted claws tipped its slab-like hands and each footstep left sharp crystals of ice behind. Evan, Lukas, and Jeimos grouped together and stared it down, planning their attack.

 

            “It has no range,” Evan quickly explained, “but if it grabs you, you’ll turn to ice. Try to destroy the everfloe crystal in its head. Be smart and be swift! Let’s go!” Then the trio separated, running off in different directions. Evan’s armor was the heaviest and clanged the loudest. Eyeless and blind, the skaadia followed the sound and pursued him.

 

            Alaine and Glenvar kept quiet as possible behind the crystals. They peeked out and tried not to giggle as they watched their friends slip and slide their way around the cold cavern. Lukas leaped from a snow drift onto the icy lake and skated across, firing a barbed arrow. The snow that made up the skaadia’s body was so frozen that it bounced off like stone.

 

            Evan’s peg-leg hit a slick patch and he went tumbling down a snowy hill. The skaadia reached the top and jumped after him, shaking the whole cavern when it landed. Cracks bled through the ice below its feet and spread up the walls. The captain rolled out of its way just in time.

 

            The ice was slippery. He was struggling to get back on his feet. The skaadia lumbered forward and he could feel the frigid mist radiating from it, stinging his face. Three claws reached down and closed around Evan. He was lifted high off the ground, gnashing his teeth as the bulbous monster squeezed him in its fist.

 

            Frost spread over his armor, threatening to reach his face. All of the mercenaries’ helmets were lost in the pyrophasma’s chamber. There was nothing to protect him from the impending brain-freeze. Evan struggled with all of his might but it just wasn’t enough. He saw his reflection in the beast’s frozen, faceted head, watched the frost creep up his body.

 

            Then a fireball flew through the air and struck the skaadia in the back. Evan was dropped in an instant, landing with a ‘clang!’ on the ice. Steam billowed from his mouth as he panted, gazing down at the line of frost which stopped just short of his neck.

 

            The skaadia turned around, then immediately stumbled back as it was struck in the face with second fireball. Jeimos stood some distance away, conjuring a third attack. They let it fly, but the skaadia slapped it away with its fist and the fireball exploded against a heap of crystals.

 

            The crystals melted down in seconds and exposed Glenvar and Alaine. The two scrambled for new cover. As the skaadia slowly advanced, Jeimos reconsidered throwing another. It was just too solid; their fireballs could bounce off and hit someone. Lukas took notice and pulled a fire-arrow from his quiver as he skated towards the elf.

 

            He turned his feet and slid to a stop. “Light me,” he said, and Jeimos did just that. The skaadia’s ice-armored parts were still too solid, but the red-hot tip pierced its snow with ease. The flaming arrow stuck in the center of its chest and the beast recoiled as if in pain. By the time it pulled the arrow out, two more struck its left knee.

 

            Then, fueled by rage, the skaadia charged. It leaped onto the ice and skated forth at great speed. There was no time to split, so Jeimos and Lukas pressed tightly together and squeezed between its legs as it passed. It slammed into the wall and made a skaadia-shaped indent in the ice.

 

            It was turning around for another charge. Lukas’ eyes darted about for answers. He noticed the magmafall still spilling from the last chamber and got an idea. The skaadia slid at them again and the two narrowly dodged. As it crashed into the opposite wall, stalactites of ice broke from the ceiling. Evan blocked one with his shield while Jeimos stopped one with a fireball just as it was about to stab through Glenvar.

 

            Meanwhile, Lukas had fired a grappling arrow at a strategic mound of ice. He held the end of the rope and called, “I need some more hands over here!” The other four mercenaries scrambled towards him and grabbed the rope just as the skaadia charged a third time.

 

            As it approached, they jumped back and pulled the rope tight. It clotheslined the creature's knees and the skaadia flailed as it toppled forward. It smacked down on the ice, kept sliding until its head smashed into the wall…The wall in which the magma flowed, and was now spilling over its head like hot cherry sauce over icecream.

 

            Without a mouth, the skaadia uttered no sound, but its frantic flailing expressed enough. It was struggling to its feet. While it was still low enough to the ground, Jeimos sprang forth and leaped onto its back. Their skin was glowing as fire coursed through their veins, countering the skaadia’s freezing effect.

 

            The elf clambered up to the beast’s head, which was now deformed and littered with hardened magma. They planted their palms on the ice and gnashed their teeth, arms quaking as they willed their hottest fire. In a panic, the skaadia stumbled about and waved its limbs in confusion. It smashed crystals and boulders, nearly stepping on the other mercs.

 

            Jeimos struggled to hold on. But now their hands were pressing through the melting ice until they finally reached the everfloe crystal in the center. They seized it and ripped it out with a victorious wail before losing their balance. Jeimos fell onto the ice, the blue crystal leaving a trail of steam as it slid away.

 

            Alaine skated by and snagged the crystal before the skaadia did. The thing was so cold that it stung her hands even through her gloves. She yelped and tossed it to Evan, who pitched it way across the cavern. The skaadia hurried after it, but it was too far as the creature rapidly lost its strength.

 

            Its knees knocked. It wobbled forward and back. Finally it collapsed to its knees and then crashed onto its face. It lie steaming and motionless as the mercenaries gathered around. Glenvar looked this way and that, then turned to Evan and asked, “Hey, where’d ya chuck that crystal? They’re valuable ya know—they stay cold forever!”

 

            Evan glanced down at his frosty armor and shivered. “Leave it here. I don’t want that thing anywhere near me,” he muttered.

Lukas crossed his arms and said, “So, is that it? Is that the last of these titans? Beause this shit is _way_ beyond our pay grade!” He paused. “Besides, how deep underground are we? This isn’t even spatially sound!”

 

            “We must have stumbled into an ancient dungeon system,” deduced Evan. He scratched at his stubble as he looked around. “Perhaps someone’s training facility? With so many chambers lined up, they must have been preparing for quite a war.”

 

            Alaine queried, “So it’s gotta end eventually, doesn’t it? Let me guess: we’re gonna fall through the floor or bust down a wall, and there’s gonna be something else waiting to smash us.” She threw her arms up and barked at the ceiling, “Am I right?”

 

            As if on queue, a howling wind blew through the cavern. The mist above swirled violently and began to descend. Evan’s cape whipped back and he grabbed it, used it to shield his huddling crew while the blizzard came down upon them. It spun round and round, faster and faster, trapping them in a sparkling white cyclone.

 

            The mercenaries could see or hear nothing else. All was wind, then all was silent.

 

*


	5. Gravity

## [CHAPTER 5: GRAVITY]

 

            Finally, the stinging wind stopped blowing. The Freelance Good Guys cautiously opened their eyes to a vast black sky peppered with sparkling stars and nebulas. They stood upon grey, desolate stone that extended to the horizon in all directions. The land was marred with craters both as small as a fist and as wide as a lake.

 

            In the distance, they could see a blue sphere surrounded by clouds. Their jaws fell slack. For what seemed like an eternity, none of the mercenaries could will themselves to blink. Finally Jeimos’ spoke, voice quivering as they said, “It—It can’t be…How is this possible?” They took a few paces towards the sphere and squinted.

 

            “That must be Looming Gaia!” They pointed at the planet, then gestured to the black sky above. “I recognize these constellations! It has to be! Chaps, I believe we are on the _moon_!” The others looked at the elf like they were speaking gibberish, all wide eyes and quirked brows.

 

            “Not possible,” decided Lukas. “How are we breathing and speaking with no atmosphere? It makes no sense!”

Alaine rolled her eyes and replied, “Has anything _else_ made sense since we stepped into that stupid temple? I’m not asking questions anymore. I just wanna go home.”

 

            “Simply incredible! The Damijana Empire has been trying to accomplish just this for centuries!” blurted Jeimos. “Oh, if Empress Serafeen could see me now, standing on the moon! She would be _furious_! Why, she—”

 

            The elf was interrupted by a worrisome groan from Evan The mercs saw him wobbling unsteadily on his feet. He collapsed to his knees, palming at his sweaty, pale face. “Atty, what’s wrong?” asked Alaine. Her brows sagged in concern and she began to step towards him. She stopped when he hunched over and growled, not unlike a feral animal.

 

            “Wait a minute,” muttered Lukas. He looked back at Looming Gaia, then down at the dusty, barren ground. “If we’re _on_ the moon, then…” His eyes widened, then he turned and bolted. “Guys, get away from him! Now!” Confusion and concern froze them in place for a moment as they watched Evan pant and claw at his hair.

 

            When he raised his head, his eyes were glowing like red stars. He let out a monstrous howl and his teeth gleamed, canines long and sharp. “Oh, jeez! He’s turning? _Here_?” exclaimed Glenvar. He seized Alaine’s wrist and trailed behind Lukas, Jeimos in tow.

 

            “I didn’t know lycanthropy worked like that!” puffed Jeimos. “How fascinating!”

“If that’s so,” began Lukas, breath quaking as he ran ahead, “then he’s not turning back until we get off the moon! Maybe there’s a portal or something—I don’t know astrology!”

 

            “ _Astronomy_ ,” Jeimos corrected.

“Whatever! You’re the space-cadet here. How do we get back home?”

“I-I don’t know, Lukas! I’m not quite sure how we got here in the first place!” cried Jeimos.

 

            Low gravity made their every stride feel long and slow, much like running in a dream. Several yards behind them, Evan’s body was morphing grotesquely. Bones cracked and reformed, straw-colored fur sprouted from his skin and his face elongated into a wolfish maw. The already mountainous man quadrupled in size and snapped the straps of his armor, plates of steel clattering onto the dust.

 

            At the end of it all, Evan was replaced by hideous hulking wolf-man. His back right leg was still missing and his peg had fallen uselessly to the ground. His underclothes still clung to his body, stretched and tattered. The beast let out a long, haunting howl that sent chills down the mercenaries’ spines.

 

            The four mercs stopped at the edge of a deep crater. Looking back, they saw the beast they “affectionately” called _Bigbad_ sniffing at their footprints in the moondust. It raised its head and spotted them in the distance, then its ears drew back and it bared its sharp teeth before dashing at them.

 

            Bigbad’s three legs kicked up a cloud of dust in its wake. It made a beeline for the mercenaries, predatory eyes glaring, having no recollection that they were ever friends. Now they were only prey. Lukas grabbed Glenvar’s hand to his right and Jeimos’ to his left. Glenvar held Alaine’s and the archer told them, “He’s vicious, but he’s dumb as a rock. Let’s jump on three. One…Two…”

 

            The slavering werewolf gimped towards them as fast as three legs would carry it, black claws digging into the ground with every landing. Just as it crouched and lunged for the mercenaries, Lukas shouted, “Three!” and they leaped high into the air, higher than any athlete on Looming Gaia could dream.

 

            Bigbad’s momentum sent it tumbling forward, flipping over the edge of the crater. It rolled down the concave side, stumbled dizzily once it reached the bottom. The mercenaries floated back down. They watched the wolf-man shake and claw at its head, trying to will the spins away.

 

            “What do we do?” asked Alaine. “We can’t just leave him on the moon like this!”

Lukas paused in thought. As he was about to speak, stars began shooting through the sky. Not actual stars, but tiny beams of light raining straight down upon the surface of the moon.

 

            The mercenaries ducked and shielded their heads. The beams felt like hail striking their skin. Bigbad spun around and snapped at the beams as if snatching bugs from the air. Above, a massive spike of light slowly descended onto the surface in front of the mercenaries.

 

            The beam shower stopped. The mercs shielded their eyes from the light before them, squinting until they could make out a shape. It appeared to be a skeletal torso with two skinny arms and a head of jutting spikes. Featureless was its face except for one big eye that carried a cosmos within it. Just below the ribs, the torso ended in a colorful aurora.

 

            The strange being emitted light from everywhere. It hovered there with its arms outstretched at its sides as if for balance. The mercs were transfixed for a long moment. Finally Alaine gasped, “Bet Evan doesn’t know _this_ one…”

 

            “I do! It’s an asterai, a titan of the stars!” cried Jeimos. They brought their fingertips to their chin, eyes wide in wonder. “It’s even more magnificent than the legends say. And to think, we have seen one with our own eyes!”

 

            Down in the crater, Bigbad was slowly clambering its way up the side of the bowl. Ahead, the asterai raised its long, delicate arms towards the sky. It held its position for a moment as the mercenaries braced themselves for disaster. Something twinkled above, then the four of them darted out of the way as an asteroid came careening down.

 

            The impact forced up a great wave of moondust. The asteroid lie half-way buried, fat as a watermelon. The asterai raised its right hand towards the sky and pointed its left at Jeimos. Another watermelon-sized asteroid rocketed towards the elf.

 

            Jeimos countered it with an explosive fireball. It broke the stone into pieces, casting cinders all around. The asterai aimed another asteroid at Glenvar and he ducked and rolled, picking up Evan’s shield to block it just in time. The asteroid hit so hard that he was blown back, leaving ten-foot long skid marks on the ground.

 

            The star titan swooped its arms gracefully as it ascended high into the air. Then no less than eight asteroids plummeted to the moon. They seemed to strike randomly, blowing more craters into the surface. The mercenaries avoided them all, except for Bigbad who was struck as it climbed out of the big crater.

 

            Rolling to the bottom once more, the werewolf howled furiously and frantically climbed back up at double speed. The strike would have shattered a human skeleton, but the beast was hardly bruised. Meanwhile the asterai hovered ominously about, sending more rocks at the mercenaries. Lukas rolled behind Glenvar, who bashed another asteroid away with the shield.

 

            Alaine picked up Evan’s sword and tried to swing at one like a bat. The force was too great and she was sent flying backwards, floating fifty feet before landing.

 

            “Jay! How do we counter this thing?” Lukas hollered over the crashing stones around them.

Jeimos broke apart two more asteroids with their fire, replying, “I’m not sure! Nobody’s ever observed one this close—well, except for us!”

 

            The elf clumsily dodged another hit and continued, “All we know is that they’re made of light! W-what could possibly defeat light? It’s formless, it can’t freeze or burn, a weapon just goes right through it…!” To punctuate their point, they tossed a fireball at the asterai. The fire phased straight through its torso, dissipating out into space.

 

            Lukas fired an arrow at the titan’s eye. The arrow went in and never came out the other side, as if sucked into another dimension. The asterai was so focused on pummeling the mercenaries with space rocks, it never noticed the werewolf creeping up from behind.

 

            With the help of low gravity, Bigbad’s powerful leg launched it high into the sky, higher than the mercenaries jumped to elude him, high enough to reach the asterai. Its massive jaws opened wide, then snapped shut over the titan’s head, completely enclosing it in darkness.

 

            The mercenaries gawked. So darkness was the answer.

 

            In an instant, the asteroid shower ceased. Bigbad floated back to the ground and licked its chops, leaving the decapitated asterai to wobble and flail helplessly in mid-air. The aurora below its ribs flickered and gradually died. Its torso sank down and down, finally settling into the dust.

 

            The titan’s natural illumination darkened until it was gone. Upon its disappearance, it left a black core behind. The core quickly started to expand. It made no sense spatially, a one-dimensional void which was invisible from its other sides. As it grew, the heavy asteroids nearby were sucked into it like a vacuum.

 

            Bigbad crouched and snarled at the void. The mercenaries watched in horror, crying out when the werewolf got stuck in its pull. Black claws sank into the ground, whimpers crying out before it lost its grip and disappeared into the blackness. The void expanded more and more with each thing it devoured.

 

            The remaining Freelance Good Guys tried to run, but the gravity slowed them and the void was only growing faster the bigger it got. In less than a minute, it consumed them all.

 

*


	6. Room With a Tomb

## [CHAPTER 6: ROOM WITH A TOMB]

 

            After what seemed like an eternity and a second all at once, the mercenaries were thrown into a pitch-black space. Several asteroids, Evan’s armor, and the arrow Lukas fired into the asterai’s eye spewed out around them. Then the portal shrank away and disappeared.

 

            The space was silent and deathly so. No birdsong, shifting earth, or even wind to be heard. Weak and disoriented, the mercenaries picked themselves off the ground and noted how it didn’t feel like anything. It wasn’t soft nor solid, nor did it have a temperature. How they were standing upon it, they decided not to question, especially after everything that happened before this.

 

            Evan’s candleseed bottle was still attached to his armor, though the seed had burned out. Jeimos snapped their fingers and lit a tiny flame in their palm. It was just enough to cast light around them. The others huddled around the elf and found Evan lying among space-debris nearby.

 

            He was unconscious, but thankfully back in his human form. His white t-shirt and shorts were stretched out and ripped apart, at least covering the bare minimum of what they needed to. The others hardly looked better. They were filthy with red blood, blue bruises, black soot, white frost, and grey moondust.

 

            “Hey, Chief! Get up!” called Glenvar. He kneeled down and patted the captain’s face, but he didn’t stir.

“Wakey wakey!” Alaine crooned and nudged him with her foot. No response.

 

            Then Lukas removed his belt and barked in a gruff Noala accent, the very same as Evan’s, “Son, you’ve slept in again! Make haste to school before my belt makes haste for your hide!” He snapped the belt for effect and suddenly Evan’s eyes were wide open.

 

            Evan shot up to his one leg and stumbled onto Glenvar for balance, muttering, “I’m going, I’m up, I’m going…!”

Glenvar quirked an eyebrow at the archer and mumbled, “Ya know him a little _too_ well, Luke…”

 

            Evan gathered his peg-leg and the pieces of his armor, slipped them on while the others searched for a way out of this mysterious black void. The captain spoke sheepishly when he asked, “So, I must have… _Turned_ , didn’t I?”

“Sure as feck did!” answered Glenvar.

“But you single-handedly defeated the asterai and saved our lives!” Jeimos added with a grin. “So truly, who is the _real_ monster?”

 

            “I say whoever designed this dungeon!” growled Lukas. He wandered about with his arms outstretched, feeling for a wall or anything to give him a sense of direction. “What kind of sadist comes up with this stuff? What’s next—A sewage titan? Better be a damn gold titan, because that’s the only way any of this will be worth it!”

 

            The crew moved across the void, huddling together in the small light of Jeimos’ flame until they arrived at a curious object. It appeared to be a sarcophagus made entirely of gleaming emerald. Somehow it hovered horizontally despite its weight. Fresh pink flowers were strewn across the top.

 

            Evan cautiously brushed them away to observe the carving on the lid. The image depicted a shrouded mother holding a baby. The figures were surrounded by peacocks, flowers, and a crescent moon looming behind them. The mercenaries squinted, cocked their eyebrows and tilted their heads in befuddlement.

 

            Then they heard a muffled groan from inside the sarcophagus. The mercs nearly jumped out of their skin. They bolted behind Evan and peeked out over his shoulders. The captain raised his shield for a moment, then glanced back at his crew and slowly approached the emerald object.

 

            His hand reached for the lid. “Evan, don’t--!” the others urged, but the man was compelled by forces greater than himself. He raised the lid up and over, swinging it on its golden hinges until it lied parallel. They stared in silence at the body inside—breathing and still quite alive.

 

            It was a young boy, possibly between 8 and 11 years of age. He lie asleep on his side, head resting on a fine silk pillow. The lining of the sarcophagus was made of the same material and there were colorful flowers and feathers around him. His skin was as rich and dark as wet soil, the springy coils of his hair as black as ink.

 

            The mercenaries jumped, startled again when the boy yawned and rolled over on his back. He exposing a gold pendant around his neck in the shape of a scorpion. It matched Miss K’s description exactly, from its size to its green jeweled eyeballs. The Freelance Good Guys exchanged expressions, then turned back to the child.

 

            He was dressed in embroidered green pajamas with his feet left bare. The style of clothing was unlike anything the mercs were familiar with, even with all their journeys around Looming Gaia. Evan leaned over the sarcophagus and queried softly, “Little boy? Are you alright?”

 

            With a grunt, the boy stretched his arms and legs. Bleary eyes drifted towards the five faces staring down at him. Then he sat up and the mercenaries took a pace back, looking tense and defensive as if they expected the child to morph into a demon any moment.

 

            The boy stretched again, raising his scrawny arms above his head before letting them collapse. He looked all around, absently touching the flowers and soft feathers in his makeshift bed. His hand wandered up to the pendant around his neck and he examined it curiously, as if it were somehow familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

 

            His race did not look unusual for this region. His clothes and the style of the sarcophagus, however, did. The situation was so bizarre, Evan did the most normal thing he could think of and lifted the boy out of the sarcophagus. As lavish as it appeared, that was still no place for a child.

 

            “What is your name, Boy?” the captain asked. The boy went limp against his armored chestplate, groggy eyes closing again.

He mumbled, “I dunno…”

“Where are your parents?” Evan pressed.

Once again, the boy replied lifelessly, “I dunno…”

 

            “Hey. Kid. ” Glenvar let out a sharp little whistle and jostled the boy’s shoulder. “Liven up! You gotta tell us what’s goin’ on, ‘cause none of us boneheads got a clue!” Eyes fluttering open again, the boy lifted his head off Evan’s armor and stared into oblivion.

 

            “Mmm…I think…Maybe, um…Oh!” His eyes widened a little. “My birthday! I’m ten now! Mama said a present, but…” He furrowed his brow in thought, then took the scorpion pendant in his hand and presented it to the mercenaries. “Um, this is my present?”

 

            Exchanging another look of utter befuddlement, the Freelance Good Guys failed to answer. All they knew was that a wealthy woman who called herself “Miss K” had sent them off to find her lost family heirloom—undoubtedly the pedant in the boy’s hand—and promised great riches should they return it. Given the grand mansion she’d boarded them in for the night, they never questioned that promise.

 

            Evan gently took the pendant from the child’s hand, pulled it off his neck and stuffed it in his own pocket as he said, “Uh…No, I don’t think that belongs to you at all.” He paused, then offered a strained smile. “But you say you have a mother? Can you tell me her name?”

 

            “Mama,” the boy answered simply. There was a chuckle from Glenvar.

Evan shook his head and clarified, “No, I mean her _name_. Not what you call her.”

“She’s just Mama.” The boy looked up at him with confusion on his face.

“Kid’s defective,” decided Lukas. “Shove him back in the box and let’s go.”

 

            “Lukas!” Evan scolded, then turned back to the boy. “What does your mother look like?”

“She’s pretty,” the boy answered.

“Her hair, is it long or is it short? Curly like yours or straight like Alaine’s?” Evan nodded towards the mermaid standing nearby.

The boy replied, “Pretty hair,” and that was all he had to say about it.

 

            The other mercenaries let out a collective groan. Evan hushed them and readjusted the boy in his arms. “Very well,” he began. “We shall find your mother and figure this out in due time. Let’s just get out of this infernal darkness first.” With that, they used the sarcophagus as a compass and decided to head “north”, moving where the head was pointing.

 

            Jeimos led the way with their flame. They walked for several minutes through an empty, silent void. Not even their footsteps made a sound. Isaac had fallen asleep in Evan’s arms again. Finally, they arrived at another strange object. This one was a door.

 

            Just a plain, innocuous wooden door with a brass knob, standing alone with nothing around it. “What in the world…?” Jeimos muttered, circling around it twice, convinced that they missed something. But aside from its circumstances, there was nothing unusual they could see.

 

            Lukas hesitated, then turned the knob and pushed. The door swung open on its frame with a creak. Still nothing behind it. Standing on the other side, Jeimos pushed it closed and tried opening it the other way to the same result. “Someone is screwing with us, big time,” grumbled Alaine. “And when I find ‘em, they’re getting the biggest ass-kicking off their life!”

 

            “Guys, language!” scolded Evan, nodding towards the boy in his arms.

“Aw, he ain’t even awake,” Glenvar said with a dismissive wave.

But to the contrary, the boy lifted his head and murmured, “I’m ‘wake…” Then he yawned before pointing at the door.“Gotta knock, ’cause that’s manners.”

 

            With a moment’s hesitation, the mercenaries figured it was no more ridiculous than anything else going on. Evan shrugged and rapped on the door three times.

 

            There was a few seconds of silence before an omnipresent feminine voice echoed, “ _YOU ARE WORTHY_.”

 

            “Jeez! Scared the shite outta me, Lady!” exclaimed Glenvar, slapping a hand over his heart. They looked all around for the source of the voice, but she was nowhere to be found. Then, the doorknob twisted on its own and the door swung forward. This time, they saw a room beyond the frame.

 

            “That’s…Miss K’s house?” questioned Alaine. Indeed, there was her ornate living room all decked out in silk and flowers, with ivory furniture and beaded tapestries lining the walls. But was it real or just an illusion? They circled the door again and no matter what side they were on, the same room from the same angle looked back at them from the frame.

 

            There were no other signs of life, so Evan let out a big sigh and passed through the door with the child. The others followed just behind.

 

*


	7. A Letter

## [CHAPTER 7: A LETTER]

 

            The mercenaries stepped into Miss K’s spacious living room. The lights were off and all was quiet, no voices or bustling from her maenad servants. When they turned around, the magic door was gone. “Hello? Miss K? We’ve returned!” Evan called. The others began to meander around, peeking through doorways for any signs of life.

 

            Not only was the mansion dark and empty, it was dusty and choked with cobwebs where there were none just this morning. The once crystal-clear windows were nearly opaque with grime. It looked like no one had set foot in here for centuries. This was not the image they saw through the doorway.

 

            Lukas flipped a lightswitch but it did nothing. Alaine tried to run the water in the sink and only a trickle of brown sludge came out. Evan set the groggy boy down and asked, “Does this place look familiar to you?” The boy yawned and rubbed at his eye as he looked around.

 

            Then he shook his head and mumbled, “Nuh-uh.”

“Hey, Guys! Get up here, I found somethin’!” Glenvar called from somewhere upstairs. Evan took the boy’s hand and they all rushed up the curving stairway, its ivory steps and golden railings coated in dust.

 

            They arrived at a long hallway with doors on all sides. One of them was open, the door to the guest room they stayed in last night. Inside were two bunk beds on opposite walls, a mahogany table between them, and Glenvar. The fresh flowers in ivory vases were now grey and wilted.

 

            The mercenaries’ luggage was just where they left it, looking no different than it had before. The mahogany table was scattered with colorful feathers, fresh pink blooms, and one thousand platinum coins. Glenvar scooped some coins in his fists with an ear-to-ear grin and wheezed, “Miss Money left us _a hundred thousand_ GP!”

 

            The man dropped to the floor and rolled on the coins in a fit of laughter. The others stood silent in shock, having expected a 5,000GP reward at the very most. They stepped up to the table and touched the coins, weighing them in their palms, turning them over to be sure they were real.

 

            Each one was silver-colored with a gold edge and a small hole in the center. They were worn, looking to be very old, but undoubtedly still valid. As they counted the hoard and divided it into stacks, the boy wandered to the tall, arching window at the back of the room.

 

            Wiping the grime away with his sleeve, he pressed his nose to the glass and peered outside. The last sliver of sunlight was disappearing behind the dunes. Stray palm trees casted long shadows on the sand. Miss K’s mansion was very isolated in the Serkel Desert, miles from Yerim-Mor Kingdom's capital city.

 

            The mercenaries arrived here by camel from the city, as no carriage dared to take them through these badlands. The journey had been long and arduous, but promises of riches in these desperate times drove them on. The boy yawned and stepped away from the window. He found a plush chair in the corner of the room, curled up on it and went to back to sleep.

 

            As they moved the coins aside, the mercenaries discovered a piece of parchment beneath. Evan picked it up and the others gathered around, reading over his shoulders. The text was written in gold ink, penmanship delicate and looping.

           

            “ _Heroes,_

_If you are reading this, then you have proven yourself strong enough, clever enough, and courageous enough to pass my Trial of Titans. I regret that I cannot congratulate you in person, for by the time you’ve read this I shall be long gone. Isaac is no longer safe with me, nor should he spend eternity in a dark tomb. Please care for him, and in return you may keep the riches that lie before you._

_Teach him good values and what it means to be a part of the living world. Teach him the skills you used to conquer such a long and perilous trial._

_He will need them._

_With love,_

_Mama_ ”

 

            The parchment quivered in Evan’s hand. His eyes darted back and forth between his crew, who looked back with a roulette of confusion, anxiety, and concern. They glanced back at the boy—Isaac—fast asleep on the chair. “Sooo…” began Lukas, gesturing to the letter. “Is this supposed to be a threat or something?”

 

            Evan shook his head and sighed, rolling the parchment into a tight scroll. “I don’t know _what_ this is or what is going on,” he admitted quietly, then pointed the scroll at Isaac. “But we shall not tell the boy of it. At least, not yet.”

Jeimos raised and eyebrow and whispered, “Do you think Miss K is his mother?”

“I have no doubt,” replied Evan.

 

            “So we’re dealing with some kinda sorceress,” said Glenvar. He tipped his head towards the coins on the table. “And I bet if we don’t honor the letter, the coins are gonna turn to dust or dog crap or whatever. Right?"

 

            Evan’s eyes drifted back to the coins. He chewed his lip and paused before answering, “I would rather not chance it.” He looked at each of his crew and went on, “I know, uh…None of us have children, nor are we the family types. Or even friendly types. But I’m sure you’re as sick of gruel and tattered socks as I am. Besides,” he gestured to Isaac again, “that boy has been orphaned and locked in a tomb for—who knows how long? How can we call ourselves ‘Good Guys’ if we did not ensure he was cared for?”

 

            “Plus, it’s his birthday,” added Alaine. She shook her head. “And all he got was _us_. Ugh, poor kid.”

Lukas held up his palms and argued, “Guys, come on! I carry rubbers for a reason. You really want a little ankle-biter getting in our way? We couldn’t even take care of that dog we had.”

“Rest in peace, Pepperoni…” sighed Glenvar.

 

            Evan began scooping the coins into a bag and shrugged. “We’ll just see what happens. Either way, let’s head back to town for some dinner and an inn. It isn’t proper to stay in someone’s house if they aren’t present. We’re not squatters, after all.”

“Not anymore!” Glenvar cackled and slapped the bag of coins, making it jingle. The sound was like seldom-heard music to their ears.

 

            Despite how the mansion seemed to age a hundred years in a day, the camels were still alive and well in the stable. The Freelance Good Guys, plus one child, loaded up their luggage and set off to the capital city. They reached the top of a dune, and when they looked back at the mansion, it had disappeared completely like a mirage.

 

            There was nothing in its place. Not a single brick or scrap of debris. They blinked in confusion, staring with disbelief for a long moment. As hungry and exhausted as they were, they simply decided to accept it and moved on down the vague road marked by stone pillars.

 

*

           

            Isaac slept the entire journey to Yerim-Mor Capital away. He finally awoke when they reached their suite at the fanciest inn in town. Considering the dilapidated state of this war-torn city, that wasn’t saying much, but at least there was potable water flowing through the pipes.

 

            It was nearly midnight by the time the mercs finished their hearty take-out dinners and collapsed into their beds. Food cartons, utensils, and empty bottles were left strewn around the main room where Isaac and Evan remained awake. The boy had newspapers scattered on the table, using crayons to color them after being scolded for trying to color on the wall earlier.

 

            Evan reclined on the couch behind him, peg leg resting on the table’s edge. He watched the boy, deep in thought. What about tomorrow? What was their next move? What was the wisest way for them to spend their newfound riches?

 

            Whatever they did, they would have to factor a 10-year-old amnesiac into their plans from now on. Isaac truly didn’t remember a thing about his life, except he once had a mother and that supposedly it was his birthday. Evan glanced at the clock ticking away on the side table. That birthday would officially be over in a few minutes.

 

            Evan pulled the scorpion pendant from his pocket and turned it over in his hands. Its jeweled eyes glimmered back at him. He cleared his throat and queried, “Boy?” Isaac stopped coloring and turned to him.

Placing the necklace around the boy’s neck, Evan went on, “I was mistaken before. I think this pendant was meant for you all along.”

 

            Isaac clutched the golden scorpion, smooth and warm in his palm. His eyes flashed back up at Evan and he asked, “What is it?”

Evan hesitated before answering. “Well, uh, it’s a family heirloom. That means it was passed down from your ancestors.”

Furrowing his brow in uncertainty, Isaac asked, “It belongs to my mom?”

 

            “At one time, I suppose it did. But now it’s yours. She would want you to have it.”

“Mom’s gone,” the boy said, black curls obscuring his face as his head sank. Evan’s peg slid to the floor and he leaned forward, clasping his hands over his knees.

 

            “I’m sorry, Isaac,” he said. “I am certain she loves you, and she only left to protect you. From _what_ , I cannot say. But I promise we shall defend you from whatever it may be.”

The boy turned the scorpion around in his hands for a quiet moment. Then he murmured, “How come…?”

 

            Evan shrugged, offered a smile. “We’re Good Guys. That’s what we’re supposed to do.”

“Oh.” Isaac paused. “Can I be a Good Guys?”

 

            “Hmmm…” Evan feigned a thinking-face and dramatically scratched at his chin. “That depends. Do you wish to help those in need?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you prepared to risk life and limb for those in peril?”

“Uh-huh.” The boy nodded.

 

            “And finally…Are you a hideous malign demon disguised as a child?”

“Nooo!” Isaac giggled and slapped Evan’s knee. Evan held out his hand for a shake. “Then I dub you, Isaac of the Mysterious Void, honorary Good Guy.”

 

            The boy’s teeth flashed behind an ear-to-ear grin as he shook the captain’s hand.

 

*

           

            The brutal sun was rising over the capital, red and angry behind a cloud of smog. Packing up their luggage, the mercenaries checked out and scrambled to the dragon port before their flight left without them. They could go anywhere in the world and do anything they pleased, for once not limited by their meager budget.

 

            Such a privilege should be considered carefully. But there they stood before the grand door of the terminal, six mercenaries with more gold than sense

 

**END**


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